ESPN reported left-hander James Paxton (35) agreed to a one-year, $11million deal pending a physical, an important footnote considering he has a total of 25 starts since the 2020 season due to back and elbow surgeries.
Paxton would slot into a rotation that underwent a dramatic facelift but won't yet include the biggest offseason addition, Shohei Ohtani (29). Ohtani, a two-way star and MVP with the Angels, will not pitch in 2024 due to off-season elbow surgery.
The Dodgers signed Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (25), acquired Tampa Bay Rays starter Tyler Glasnow (30) and welcome back Walker Buehler (29) from Tommy John surgery. Bobby Miller (24) and Paxton could become the number four and number five starters, in some order, when the signing becomes official.
Yamamoto pitched as part of a six-man rotation common in Japanese professional baseball, Glasnow had Tommy John surgery in 2021, and Paxton missed the entire 2022 season.
Paxton sat out the month of September 2023 with the Boston Red Sox due to left knee soreness, and his reliability was likely a concern in the free agent market given his recent but repetitive injury history.
He is 64-38 in 156 career starts with 932 strikeouts in 850 2/3 innings with the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners and Red Sox. His career ERA is 3.69, but Paxton has made more than 20 starts only three times since breaking into the league in 2013 and last did so in 2019 with the Yankees.
